The role of libraries in the process of communication. Part 2.
SZENTE Ferenc
The author analyses the changes occurring in the mother tongue, in the community-forming cultural activities and in the environment. The education in the mother tongue, the attunement to reading should start in the early childhood. These are the most important preconditions of that the child be able to communicate during his/her life. The author also mentions the alarming cultural-social crisis characterising our world today, and states that it is a herald of the integrating world economy. The related problems can be perceived at a certain level in the library as well, and must be faced by the librarians. If they support education in the mother tongue and have the necessary empathy, they can contribute to people establishing normal communication. Works in progress on the general subject headings list.
HORVÁTH Tibor
There is no general subject headings list in Hungarian and this fact considerably hinders the construction of databases. The author publishes the proposal prepared by the Classification Committee of the Association of Hungarian Librarians for the Ministry of Culture and Education on the development of a general subject headings system which they consider to be a task for the entire librarianship. The system of subject headings consists of three levels, superposed on one another. At the top would be some thousand generic subject headings, meant for smaller libraries, with functions of a broad system of ordering. The medium level would be a more detailed version of the above, meant for medium-sized libraries, and for the materials belonging to the secondary collection interest of large libraries. The third level would include detailed, specific subject headings for deep indexing. Transit is provided between these levels. The article calls attention to three important professional details (logical units, subject categories, applications rules).
PC-based library systems.
HUNYADINÉ NASZÁDOS Edit – TOLNAI György
The Advisory Committee on Library Computerization evaluated the software with complex functions for pc’s. The programmes can be grouped as follows: a) Micro-ISIS-based developments (e.g. HUN, IKB, KATAL of the National Széchényi Library, MANCI of the National Széchényi Library Centre for Library Science and Methodology) and Micro-ISIS-related programmes complemented in other languages such as Clipper, Pascal etc., (examples are DrLib of VIXEN Ltd., PCLIB of Teleinfotéka, HUNGALIS); b) programmes from abroad for integrated library purposes (IBAS, MIKROMARC); c) software developed in Hungary (SZIRÉN, TEXTAR) and unique programmes developed in Hungary (KARDEX, PERIODIKA, KTRKS). The evaluation criteria included: flexible introduction, comfort of use, adequate documentation; use in Hungarian, code set, change of language; services; application areas; price; accessible databases; education; further development. The findings of the evaluation are presented in a table. The essay is complemented by a short description of the programmes.
“Subjective” remarks about computerisation in Hungarian libraries.
FÜREDI Mihály
Reviewing the trends in recent years in the field of computerisation in Hungarian libraries the essay determines periods as well („8-bit”, „16-bit XT”, „16-bit AT”) and states that we are progressing toward the „32-bit” era. The author characterizes in short these periods by the computers used, by the operational systems and by the software. He defines the concept of the „integrated library system” and discusses one possible classification of these systems into horizontally integrated systems (e.g. OSZKÁR), vertically integrated systems (e.g. TEXTAR, TINLIB etc.), fully integrated systems (e.g. DOBIS/LIBIS). He describes the types of library database management systems, their development trends and common characteristics. He concludes that the features enumerated make it possible as a whole that large files be created on personal computers too with high-level search and display capabilities. The author sets out in more detail the deficiencies of Boolean search systems and recommends the application of search techniques on which the TINLIB system is based.
The TINLiB integrated library system.
FÜREDI Mihály
The author presents in short the TINMAN database management system and one of its library applications, the TINLIB library automation software package. TINLIB is an integrated system, its modules organically cooperate in the following fields: search, cataloguing, circulation, acquisitions, periodicals and serials control, network communication, selective dissemination of information. Outstanding features are the controlled authority files covering the contents of many fields; the unlimited record length and repetition, and effective search. With the search technique of „browsing and navigation” excellent search results can be achieved starting from very little information: if necessary, one can switch over from title search to UDC-based, or to author search, continuously complementing the search results. You need not even return to the menu, as is usual in other systems. The author enumerates the advantages of TINLIB over other library automation systems, and based on them considers the TINLIB software able to solve all computerisation problems of medium-sized libraries, and to solve some specific tasks of such large libraries as the National Széchényi Library and the National Information Centre and Library of Technology.
Full-text database management and the BRS/Search software.
HERÉNYI István
The author first summarizes the general features of full-text databases and their applications. Having clarified the basic principles and terminology he describes the BRS/Search full-text database management software which is novel in Hungary. The system is a product of the British-American firm BRS Software Products. It has been distributed since 1991 by the Computer Applications Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA SZTAKI). The software was written in the C language, it is therefore accessible with any operating system. It accepts any word processing programme, responds quickly, offers effective storage, flexible search, a wide range of online access opportunities. By the hyper-link function it is able to link documents. It contains an ANSI thesaurus as well. Its specific features are: linking of databases, simple export-import, a variety of displays. BRS/Search has got a simplified user interface for beginners and a more sophisticated graphic interface for more advanced users.
A historical overview of the problems of county library systems.
TÓTH Gyula
It was 40 years ago that county libraries have been organized and their systems have been built. On the occasion of this anniversary the author looks back as far as the early 19th century, to the ideological-historical roots of the formation of public library systems. Taking note of the English example, the idea of establishing county and town libraries has arisen quite early in Hungary, the intention being to promote the spreading of national culture, to raise the cultural level of the people. The author illustrates by citations from the essays of Zoltán Ferenczi, Pál Gulyás, József Mihalik, Béla Kőhalmi the ideas related to the framework, structure and financing of the public library system in Hungary. The key question was the same as today: who will finance the operation. The construction of the regional library system started finally after 1945. The overview ends with the year 1952.
Directly or indirectly? The state and problems of interlibrary lending in the Library of the Lajos Kossuth University, Debrecen.
PÁLNÉ PÉTER Judit
The author comments on the article by Lászlóné Kürti (Könyvtári Figyelő, vol.38. 1992, no.3. pp. 419.). Legal regulations make it possible for 12 large libraries with national responsibilities to be directly engaged in interlibrary lending with their foreign partners. The Central Library of the Lajos Kossuth University did not, however, undertake to carry out interlibrary lending on its own. The reasons for this are the lack of financial means on the one hand, and professional considerations on the other. They are set out in detail in the article.
The views of Budapest library students on library education.
MIKULÁS Gábor
The article was written as part of a Hungarian-Dutch joint thesis. In February 1992 a survey was made at the Loránd Eötvös University Department of Library Science among students with majors in arts and science concerning the efficiency of library education. The findings were as follows: library education needs change in many respects; the graduates are not satisfied with education as a whole, nevertheless they consider the technological conditions as adequate. The author considers library education to be a kind of service. To raise its standard cooperation is needed in all fields of librarianship.
Communication and information service by satellite. A review.
PÁLVÖLGYI Mihály
The European Centre of Parliamentary Research and Documentation and the regional cooperation of parliamentary libraries.
HARASZTI Pálné
THOMSON, Ian: European business information network.
(Transl.: Orbán Éva)
CD-ROM and Macintosh. What is worth knowing about the Kent University.
KOLTAY Tibor
KING, Pamela: Privatisation and public libraries.
(Rev.: Nagy Ferenc)
G.E. GORMAN (ed.): The education and training of information professionals. Comparative and international perspectives.
(Rev.: Téglási Ágnes)
End-user searching. The effective gateway to published information.
(Rev.: Koltay Tibor)
KIRSTINÄ, Leena – LŐRINCZ Judit: Magyarok és finnek a fikció világában.
(Hungarians and Finns in the world of fiction. The reception of novels by József Balázs and Veijo Meri in Hungary and Finland) (Rev.: Laborc Júlia)
Information in Eastern and Central Europe: Coming in from the cold. Papers presented at the State-of-the-Art Institute, Nov. 12-13, 1991, Washington, D.C.
(Rev.: Hegyközi Ilona)